I'm sorry, I can't do it
by MistyQueHarper
Summary: Made this in collaboration with LoveyaKathy from Dev. AU what if Gajeel was supposed to infiltrate Fairy Tail instead of hurting Levy in the first place? How would that change their relationship? I guess you'll have to read and see. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. Give him the love he deserves! Rated M for Gajeel's potty mouth
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note:** I don't usually do requests, but someone from DevianArt made an AMV and it sparked my interest. And this little thing popped up. I can't paste links here, so you'll have to check my gallery. Sorry for the inconvenience...  
_

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1:**

Gajeel stared blankly at the scene in front of his eyes. His heart felt like a ton in his chest and it was pressing on his lungs. He felt like he was choking. He felt people shoving past him and shouting things, he even felt at one point being shaken. He tore his red eyes from the tree to search for whom ever was shaking him. He realized through a fog it was Salamander. Not really interesting. So he turned his eyes back to her. And his heart shattered, his red eyes filling against his will. Finally sound came back and he could hear the commotion around him.

"Levy!"

"Get her down!"

"Someone summon Porlyushka. NOW!"

"Is she alive?" Gajeel gasped as his tears overflown, trying to get ready for the answer that would plunge him into the darkness. For, without her, his sunshine, his life would never see the light again. He held his breath.

"Barely…" Gajeel let out the air in his lungs, laughing slightly. _She's alive…_

"I can't… take these shackles off!" Gajeel lunged to the tree, yanking down whoever was on the ladder and hurrying on the narrow stairs.

"Don't you die on me, ya hear!?" Gajeel grabbed the shackles and yanked hard. Nothing happened.

"Gajeel, that won't work! Look at the runes on them, it's anti-magic. Master's on the way with Freed, he can take them off."

"She won't last that long, damn it! I'll… Take… THESE… OFF!" He pulled harder, his nails embedding in the tree trunk.

"It's no use, Gajeel!" He wasn't listening. With an animalistic yell, his powers surged, covering him in a purple mist. He crushed the tree around Levy's shackles, then, with a mighty pull, he lost his balance as the metal broke free. Before he fell on the ground, he grabbed Levy's limp body and pulled her to his chest, expecting him to feel the ground on his back as he closed his eyes and cradled Levy to him to cushion the impact. He felt nothing.

"I gotcha…" Wendy's strained voice could be heard as she used her magic to place them gentle on the ground. As soon as he was down, all hell broke loose. People started yelling, shouting hoorays, running around to get Jet and Droy off as well. Levy was yanked from his arms and placed on a stretcher, Wendy not wasting any time and activating her healing magic. He could breathe easily now. She was gonna make it. He'd make damn sure of it.

Suddenly, he realized he never really saw Levy's two lap dogs on the tree with her. How the fuck did that happen? He let his head fall, breathing heavily. His hands covered his face as the tears escaped again. He sobbed heavily, part from relief and happiness, part from guilt. _It's my fault…_ He thought as Jose's cold voice filled his head.

* * *

 _"Gajeel… I need to ask you a favor…" Jose said in his dark, amused tone as he approached Gajeel, standing at the counter and enjoying a beer and a few metal wheels._

 _"Spit it out, Master." He was in no mood to talk thanks to his latest mission._

 _"I have another mission for you. It'll be more fun than anything you've had before." Gajeel's ears twitched. Good, he was interested. "I need you to destroy a guild from inside out. I want you to join the Fairy Tail guild." The red eyed man turned briefly and grinned with a nail between his teeth._

 _"Sounds interesting. Care to share more details?"_

 _"Befriend them. Spill some emotional shit. Tell them your story. They'll lick your boots once they find out your dragon left you to fend for yourself at such a young age. Blah, blah, blah. I know you can do it. You can leave immediately." Jose turned away, feigning a blow kiss to the Dragon Slayer._

 _"What do I do with the guild mark?" Gajeel asked with his back to the Master._

 _"You can erase it temporarily. You know where the stamp is."_

 _"Gehee." Gajeel was already forming a plan._

 ** _I will get along with those bastards and, when they least expect it… I will destroy it._** _Gajeel felt giddy just for that. He ached for a piece of Salamander ass ever since he found out he was a Fire Dragon Slayer. So he finished his beer in one gulp, grabbed a fistful of nails and shoved them in his pocket, punched an asshole who thought they could get away with charging him extra for the nails, then headed for the Master's office to take his guild mark off. Then he proceeded to his room to pack his belongings, which didn't account for much. Just a few spare clothes, his favorite gloves and a scale from Metallicana. He placed the small backpack on his right shoulder and left Phantom Lord._

* * *

 ** _That's what I thought when I arrived… My plan to destroy Fairy Tail from within… It was perfect… But, then, I met Master Makarov… Crazy old man accepted me in the guild, even though he knew I was in a dark guild. It was perfect, everything fell right into place, everything was going according to plan. I had my mind set to finishing the job._**

 ** _Even more perfect was the fact that I started getting along with them, even though it made me throw up every time one of 'em started gushing out with that 'nakama is family, family is nakama, protect them blah, blah, blah'. I even felt I was doing the right thing, destroying them._**

 ** _Until I met her…_**

 ** _Levy Mc'Garden._**

 ** _A few days after I was accepted in the guild, I took a job. I needed the jewels, after all… So pummeling some idiots who thought they could act as bullies was easy enough. Never even realized I let my guard down, thinking they were too lame for me to use any magic. An asshole pulled a knife when I was having fun with three more. Had my back turned on him, too… I think he was aiming for my heart or something, but the idiot plunged it between my shoulder blades. It fucking hurt. Tried to cover myself in scales, but that little stunt prevented me from doing that. Half a dozen guys came out of nowhere and I really thought I was screwed for a moment. Just before they could attack, they were blown away by a word. A fucking word! And, between the orange flames, I saw the most beautiful thing ever. An angry face hugged by a flock of wild blue hair. Someone yanked the knife from by back and I swore loudly._**

 _"Are you OK? Can you stand?" A straw hat. Really?_

 _"Of course I can fucking stand! Get the fuck off me!"_

 _"You're welcome… asshole…"_ **_The guy left a dust trail behind him as he flanked the blue haired girl's left side. I grinned as I let the scales cover my skin. Let the fun begin. I took my time with a couple of assholes and never bothered to look around for the three mages that came in the nick of time. As dust settled, I heard a beautiful voice._**

 _"Ah! You're Fairy Tail!" **And she turned, letting me see the guild mark on her left shoulder blade. "Us too! I'm Levy Mc'Garden." She extended a small hand for me to shake it. I didn't even register the two guys introducing themselves. All I got was Jet and Droy. I didn't shook her hand, I wasn't a fucking goody-goody.**_

 _"Gajeel Redfox."_

 _"Oh! The Iron Dragon Slayer!" **I snapped my eyes to her excited face. How could anyone be so happy to meet me? Everyone else trembled in fear. Her eyes fucking sparkled. What the fuck was that?** "That makes three Dragon Slayers for our guild! Wow, don't you guys think this is amazing?" **She turned to chat with the two guys, who were eating her every word. Pathetic.**_

 ** _But something in me told me I was doing the biggest mistake of my life. Destroying Fairy Tail._**

 ** _Since that day, I knew I was wrong. Because I started feeling I was in the right place._**

 **TBC**

* * *

 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note:** wow, so many positive views! Thank you seems too little for the level of gratitude I feel for my readers..._

 _ **GiantMarshmallow** , I might surprise you gehehe_

 _ **Dvel** , I'm really glad I sparked your interest. I was kinda unsure about the whole Gajeel POV and the flashing back and forth._

 _ **WailingSirensxx** , thank you for reading and commenting!_

 _ **MakeItHale** , thankyouthankyouthankyou!_

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2:**

The three Shadow Gear members were rushed to the Infirmary, Gajeel holding Levy's hand like she would disappear for good if he let go. Porlyushka tried several times to get him out, with no luck. He was as stubborn as an Iron Dragon. Only when Master Makarov came and used his powers did Gajeel leave the medical room, cursing the whole way. The door slammed in his face and he turned around, looking for a place to sit. He went back to the bar, trying to keep his mind from going to dark thoughts, like Levy dying while the pink haired hag treated her, or, if by some miracle she survived now, Levy would die during the night while he was fast asleep. He shuddered and looked around the quiet guild. It was so unlike them to be silent, but here he was, in Fairy Tail, not a peep coming out of the guild mates. Another flashback filled his head.

* * *

 _Fairy Tail became his home. Once that happened, he tried to think how he would get back to being a Phantom. And he couldn't find a way to do that. To face Master Jose and tell him he can't do the job. Gajeel was quite certain Jose would attack the guild if he knew he decided to protect them. The truth is… I really like being here with all of them… With her… But I wouldn't be caught dead admitting that out loud. I have my pride, damnit! He squeezed his fist, feeling his nails bite into his hand._

 _And, before he realized it…_

 _They started hanging out, at one point they were together all the time… Levy and Gajeel… The red eyed man started having some new and weird feeling. And it scared him senseless. So he tried to push her away, tried to be an asshole, maybe she'd get away… But she never left his side. And I realized… I don't really wanna be away from her._

 _They started taking jobs together, especially after Lily appeared in his life. She fought side by side against anything and anyone. They took care of each other._

 _ **I'll protect her with everything I have. With my life.** Gajeel found himself thinking at one point during a heavy fight while she was lying unconscious on the ground. And, for a moment, the realization almost knocked him off his feet, but quickly recovered, since the three mages were surrounded and Levy was hurt._

 _ **Without realizing it… I fell in love with this short girl… Shrimp.**_

 _Lily managed to drag Levy and Gajeel back to the guild after their mission, Gajeel hovering protectively over Levy's limp form._

 _"She's fine, Gajeel, go rest. She's in no danger, only minor cuts and bruises." Mirajane tried to soothe him, but to no avail. Gajeel was too hyped about her not waking up._

 _"Then why the fuck ain't she up yet?" He bellowed, wanting to strangle the busty girl._

 _"Magic depletion. She'll be out at least till tomorrow morning." Gajeel ground his teeth in frustration, then huffed and stomped away to his place with Lily._

 ** _The next morning, before I even got a chance to check up on Shrimp, I received a letter from Master Jose. I was to meet him back at Phantom Lord guild. And I knew he was up to something…_**

 _He jumped out of bed, realizing it was the perfect moment to disappear since Lily wasn't in the house. He dressed and made sure Lily or Natsu couldn't follow his scent back to the dark guild. Gajeel kept his hands in his pockets, thinking hard. What will Master Jose ask? Was he growing impatient? And what would he say if Jose demanded he'd get the job done faster? How could he destroy Fairy Tail now that it became his true home?_

 _The raven haired man never even realized his feet carried him automatically to Phantom Lord as he was busy worrying about the encounter with Master. He stopped suddenly as his nose picked up the familiar, but disgusting smell of Phantom Lord. He sneered just before he opened the doors to his former guild._

 _Everyone gasped as they saw Kurogane strolling nonchalantly inside the guild._

 _"You!" Several muscled men got up suddenly from their chairs, lunging for the Dragon Slayer. Gajeel merely ducked and sent an iron pole to each of the thugs, sprawling them all over the walls and floor. He then shoved his hands back in his pockets and continued walking to Master Jose's office while the rest of the guild members watched him silently, fearing for their lives._

 _Gajeel didn't even bother knocking, he shoved his foot on the door and slammed it open, then closed it with his heel, then headed for the chair that rested in front of Jose's study. He slumped heavily and waited for Jose to turn around in his own chair._

 _"You changed a lot, my boy. You're different." The dark man spoke with his back to Gajeel. But he could feel his slimy smile._

 _"Don't feel no different." Gajeel grunted, trying with all his might to keep from ripping his slimy head off._

 _"Oh, but you are. I have noticed many things about you." He finally turned around with his narrow eyes and disgusting sneer. Gajeel suppressed a growl. I'm gonna fucking puke. "I also noticed that you did the first part of the job very well. And, since you were so good at it… Let's take it up a notch, shall we?" Jose sang happily as Gajeel felt his stomach drop, his intuition telling him Jose was up to no good. "I decided to change out part a bit, you know, making sure we'll make an impact and all." Jose laughed lightly at an inner joke that Gajeel didn't understand._

 _"I don't have all day."Gajeel grew impatient._

 _"My, my, aren't we in a hurry? Okay, I'll just get down to business, since you seem so eager to finish this. How's this? Instead of destroying the whole guild… After all, buildings can always be rebuilt… I want you to kill Levy Mc'Garden." Gajeel froze. His heart started beating faster and his mind raced. He was silent for a long moment, not daring to make a move and give Jose hints or ideas._

 _"Well? Am I a genius or what?" Jose turned in his chair and faced the large window behind the study. Gajeel took the moment to exhale silently and look at his trembling hands._

 ** _Those words hit me hard straight to my iron heart. Why her…? It was all I could think of. Why? He must know. He's doing this just to get revenge on me and the guild. He knows I've betrayed him. He knows…_**

 ** _I can't do it… I can't!_**

 _Gajeel realized Jose waited for an answer, so he steadied his voice and the trembling in his heart and tried to fake an interest._

 _"As always, your evil impresses me. I love it. They'll be devastated. This should give them enough reason to come charging here. And, when they do…" Gajeel smiled evilly. "They won't see it coming. Me changing sides in the middle of the battle." Jose turned slightly to watch him carefully, Gajeel suppressing a shudder from his cold stare. "I'll do it."_

 _Jose smiled crazily and slammed his hands on his study._

 _"Perfect! It will be sublime! Ah, I just wish I could be there and watch you bathe in her blood… Oh…"Jose inhaled loudly on his long nose, throwing his arms like he expected a hug._

 _"Don't orgasm yet, Master." Gajeel sneered as Jose laughed manically. Crazy-ass…_

 _"You, my boy, are my only pride and joy in this world. You're the only one who understands the beauty we are creating… Go make me proud." Gajeel got up and turned on his heels without a word. "Ah, and Gajeel…" The raven haired man stopped in front of the door, listening with his back to Master Jose. "Don't disappoint me."_

 _He grunted an answer, then went out the door. Gajeel knew it was a warning. If he wouldn't deliver Levy's head on a silver platter, he wouldn't breathe for long._

 **TBC**

* * *

 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note:** Wow, this is getting more attention than I thought! Plus, it's getting longer than I thought, too lol_

 _ **Dvel** , *shared the box of tissues* There, there! Keep it. I'm gonna make it MOAR teary MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA_

 _ **Guest** , yes! *draws another line on the Caught 'em column_

 _ **WailingSirensxx** , oooh, he will get his face REALLy punched in gehee_

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

Gajeel shot up when the Infirmary doors burst open. He held his breath, along with his fellow guild members, as Makarov got out of the Medical room with a grave face.

"M… Master…" Gajeel rasped, losing his voice.

"How are they?"

"How did this happen?"

"Who did this? And why?"

The whole guild attacked Makarov with questions, the short man raising a hand to silence them.

"Phantom Lord." The guild Master said in a low voice. That silenced the whole guild as all eyes turned to Gajeel. The Iron Dragon swore under his breath as the stillness pressed on him.

"Gajeel's old guild…"

"Are they trying to get back to him or something?"

"Master, what's the meaning of this?" Elfman inquired, stepping closer to him. Makarov glanced at Gajeel, who looked away in shame. The whole guild caught the silent exchange between the two, dread filling them.

"No…"

"It can't be…"

"Gajeel's our nakama!"

"How could you! You bastard!" Natsu lunged for the Dragon Slayer, pinning him on the wall. "You fucking lying piece of shit!" The Fire Dragon shoved his flaming fist in Gajeel's stomach, the raven haired man tumbling on the floor, coughing. "I trusted you!" Natsu kicked him back, lunging for Gajeel again. "I trusted you with my life! I trusted you to take care of our nakama!" Another punch hit Gajeel hard as he struggled to get up. "And you let her get hurt!" Natsu punched him again.

"Natsu! That's enough." Makarov bellowed before Natsu could throw another punch. Salamander grinded his teeth and let Gajeel fall on the floor, coughing blood. "I'll explain everything in due time. For now, Gajeel may be our only chance to beat the Phantoms."

"This piece of shit can't do a damn thing! I can take the whole guild by myself!" Natsu felt invincible at the moment. "Erza and Mira will surely help, so wh…"

"Shut your mouth for once, boy, and listen!" Makarov slapped Natsu hard on the head, shocking the whole guild. "Gajeel is not to blame here! Sure, he did his share of dark stuff, many of you might not understand why, but ever since he came to our guild, Gajeel protected every one of you, sorry asses! Even you, Flame Brain! How many times did Gajeel save you, Natsu? How many times did he save Gray, or Erza, or Mira, or Levy? How many times did you fight back to back?" Everyone looked away in shame.

"Now! We have a war coming our way. They asked for it, and we'll gladly deliver. Take your heads out of your asses and see the real enemy! Phantom Lord has some pretty strong mages and the only way to beat them is to stand united! All of you!" He stared at Natsu. "Gajeel's insight will come in handy in this battle, so I suggest you wipe any trace of doubt from your hearts and follow my lead, since I was the one who brought Gajeel in this family!" Makarov watched every Fairy, then continued.

"This will be a critical night, both for Shadow Gear, and for ourselves. Let us pray Levy, Jet and Droy survive the night. And, if they won't… Then Mavis have mercy on them, because I won't." Makarov passed through them and headed for his office, letting the two young men settle their own scores.

As soon as Natsu heard the door close, he turned back to Gajeel, who was wiping his bloody lip, then spit some red liquid on the ground. Natsu lunged at him again, only this time, Gajeel caught his fist and blocked the Fire Dragon before he could hit him again. Then he punched him hard in the jaw, tumbling Natsu on the floor.

"You dare call me a traitor, you fucking asshole? YOU KNOW SHIT ABOUT ME!" Natsu back flipped and ran to him again, Gajeel bracing himself, parrying every firey blow the Dragon Slayer sent his way.

"I know enough to see you don't give two fucks about this guild! Or about her!" This made Gajeel snap. He covered his body with iron scaled and head-butted him, blood instantly blowing through Natsu's nose. He staggered back as Gajeel slashed toward him with a roar, Natsu barely dodging his sharp nails. Gajeel slashed again and again, roaring like an animal. Natsu merely pulled back, not getting a chance to take on an offensive stance. A slash nearly cut his balls off, Gajeel's claws imbedding in the wood at Natsu's feet, splintering the floor.

"You! Know! NOTHING!" The raven haired man hollered a moment before he tackled Natsu on the floor and started raining iron punches with bestiality. "YOU! iPunch/i KNOW! iPunch/i NOTHING! AAAARGH!" He sent another punch half an inch next to Natsu's closed eyes, leaving a hole in the wood. Utter silence filled the guild, no one daring to breathe as dust settled. _Plop. Plop. Plop._ Natsu crept his eyes open as something wet dropped on his cheek. Then he stared at what he never thought would see in his life.

"I love her…" Gajeel whispered, his fists feebly wrapped around Natsu's scarf, tears streaming down his face.

"Gajeel…" Salamander stared, Gajeel's tears leaving marks on his dusty face as another flashback brought him down memory lane.

* * *

 _Gajeel's stomach knotted uncomfortably, Jose's words echoing in his head. Kill Levy Mc'Garden. He didn't even watch where he was going, walking aimlessly for a while, then heading for his place deep in thought. He knew he couldn't do it, even though he told Jose he would deliver._

 _So, with his insides squirming miserably, he opened the door to his home and nearly tripped on the doorframe._

 _"Hey, you!" Gajeel eyes bulged, his throat going dry and his hand slipping from the knob. **Why the fuck is she smiling like that?** "I got worried when you didn't show up at the guild, so I cam…" Gajeel lunged to her, grabbing a very surprise bluenette in his arms, hugging her tightly. Levy's face burst instantly, opening her mouth to ask him what was he doing, but Gajeel cut her._

 _"I'm sorry…" He whispered painfully in her neck, clenching his fists in her orange dress. "I'm so sorry…" He brushed his lips on her neck, Levy gasping as the trail fired her skin, Gajeel kissing his way to her jaw, then her cheek, pausing to whisper another apology. A second later, he captured her lips with a scorching ferocity, Levy's head spinning from the lack of oxygen. She tangled her hands in his black mane, kissing back with the same hunger. Gajeel propped her on the wall next to her, lifting her frail form to wrap her legs around his waist. Then, his hands started feeling her back, lowering to cup Levy's plump behind. She moaned on his mouth, releasing his lips to open her neck for him to kiss, Gajeel nipping the sensitive skin under her ear._

 _In a haze, Levy tugged at his t-shirt, Gajeel propping her with his hips so he could take it off. Soon, his t-shirt was gone and he was heading with her in his arms to his bedroom, all the way fumbling with a silly zipper. He growled when he couldn't get it open, so he merely ripped it off, all the while glued to her mouth._

 _The only sounds that could be heard for the next hour were skin slapping against skin, moans and grunt of pleasure. Gajee'ls heart felt like bursting through his chest as he found Levy's bliss and joined her soon after, falling over her petite form. Levy wrapped her arms around his torso, huffing in his ear. A moment later, she felt Gajeel wrap his arms around her shoulders and felt herself pulled over a very well-toned chest, her cheeks reddening._

 _"So… Are you gonna tell me what brought this along?" She smiled sweetly, playing with Gajeel's nipple. He calmed his breath and looked at her, letting his usual scowl to relax. He gave her a tender smile, then kissed the top of her head, pulling her closer._

 _"Not yet… I wanna enjoy this moment." Levy placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling very happy as Gajeel held her in his arms. They fell asleep a moment later._

 **TBC**

* * *

 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note:** Never expected to get so many positive feeds for this one, you guys amaze me every time! As for the AMV, you can check my dev art gallery, you'll find the fic there as well, and the link in the description of the fic._

 _ **Dvel** , I'm just getting started :D_

 _ **Pamgie** , the ~~~ means a flashback started, if it's too difficult to understand, please, give me a hint or something and tell me how can I make flashbacks easier to understand (like where it starts and where it ends) I'm open to new ideas!_

 _ **GiantMarshmallow** , I'm glad I hooked you up to this one, as well. the more, the merrier!_

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4:**

Gajeel rolled off Natsu and crumbled on the floor, hiding his face. He felt _so_ tired all of a sudden. He couldn't move a limb. Natsu pushed himself off the floor and watched the Iron Dragon Slayer as he wept silently. He could hear Gajeel whispering.

"I'm sorry… I can't do it… I love her…" Natsu's hand twitched, wanting to comfort the raven haired man, but not knowing how. The pinkette tried to put himself in his shoes, imagine what would it feel like to know the one you love is one hairsbreadth away from death. Knowing that, without Wendy, she would've been already cold. The other Fairies shuffled awkwardly away from the two once they saw the battle was over. Natsu clenched his fist.

"Hey… I…"

"Don't you fucking dare…" Gajeel rasped, not finding the strength to yell at Salamander. "You don't know how I feel, so don't you fucking dare say you're sorry or some emotional shit like that. I don't need your goddamn pity!" Gajeel snapped his head to the Fire Dragon, his glossy eyes still spilling tears. "What I need is her to open her eyes! I need her to survive!" He burned his red eyes into Natsu's. "And, once she's out of harm's way… I'll hunt that fucker down, rip his beating heart out of his fucking chest and make him swallow it whole. Then, I'll bathe in his fucking blood." Gajeel said between clenched teeth, a shudder rising on Natsu's spine. "He will regret the day he even thought of messing with us, Fairies."

"And I'll be there, watching your back." Natsu let him see the fire burning in his eyes. Good. Salamander wanted blood as much as he did. The next flashback he had made Gajeel crave Jose's blood even more.

* * *

 _After a night he'd be sure to remember, Gajeel woke up to see the most beautiful sight he ever laid his eyes on. An angel was sleeping curled next to him, her wavy blue hair spilling over the pillow. He brushed a few rebel strands from her forehead, then he got closer to kiss her cheek, continuing trailing kissed down her jaw, on her neck, behind her ear. A sleepy giggle made him smile, raising his head enough to watch Levy open her eyes and beam so lovingly it made whatever wall was left to guard his heart shatter in a billion pieces._

 _"That tickles…" Levy complained sweetly, Gajeel grinning and resuming the honey torture, enjoying Levy's squirming under him. Once he thought was enough, he continued kissing his way down her neck, nipping her shoulder and collar bone. Levy let out soft moans once Gajeel's mouth found her chest._

 _"I love you…" Gajeel whispered between heated kisses, raising goose bumps on Levy's skin. She smiled and let him show her just how much love he felt._

 _Half an hour later, Gajeel pulled a huffing bluenette on his chest, Levy listening to his quickened heartbeat._

 _"I love you, too…" the Dragon Slayer grinned crookedly, kissing the top of her hear._

 _"I knew I was irresistible, it a curse."_

 _"Was that a joke?" Levy gapped at him, smirking. "Did I hear well? The mighty Iron Dragon just made a joke? And a funny one, too."_

 _"I've always had a sense of humor, you were just so absorbed in your books you never realized my awesomeness."_

 _"By Mavis, another one! Quick, what day is it? I'll talk to Master and make this day a holy one, maybe hold a festival or something." Gajeel rolled over her, laughing._

 _"You makin' fun of me, Shorty? I can always pay you back for that. Let's see…" He raised his hand to caress Levy's ribs only to tickle her, earning a very surprised laugh. They played like that for a few minutes, releasing a panting and giggling Levy._

 _"Okay, you win!"_

 _"Of course I do!" She surrendered under his body, Gajeel looking intently at her for a long moment. Then, he kissed her so passionately she forgot to breathe for a moment. A few minutes later, Gajeel released her lips, placing his face on the crook of her neck._

 _"Will you tell me now what brought this along?" She caressed his bare back, grinning when she felt goose bumps on his skin. Gajeel felt so elated he felt he could tell her anything she wanted to know. And so, he did. He told her how he spent his days with Metalicana, how lonely he felt when he disappeared, how that loneliness became bitterness and how Jose lured him to the dark side. He recalled the days he was dark back in Phantom Lord, how he looked back now and never wanted to become such a creature again, how strange it felt to be with people who genuinely cared for him and considered him family. How he felt when he looked at her._

 _He talked for hours, opening his heart to her, Levy silently listening. They had a late lunch, then continued talking. Gajeel felt like he was freeing himself from a heavy burden as he told her everything she wanted to know. The only things he kept from her were the fact that he was working as a double agent for Jose and Makarov and Jose ordered to kill her. Why ruin such a perfect moment?_

 _The weekend they spent was magical, neither wanting to let go as Monday came knocking on their happiness. Gajeel walked her back to the dorm, promising to see each other later that day. With another scorching kiss, they parted ways for a few hours, both mages smiling dumbly as they headed for their respective homes. The same day, Gajeel received a letter from Jose. The raven haired man read it disgusted, crumbling it in his fist, b throwing it away in a corner and forgetting about it after a few hours. Fairy Tail made sure no dark thought would ever remain in his head._

 _For a few weeks, Gajeel was… happy. Then, everything went to hell._

 _One magical Sunday morning, Gajeel decided to surprise Levy with breakfast in bed, so he dressed quickly and headed out to the market for some shopping, whistling contently._

 _Levy opened her eyes and stretched, hoping to feel Gajeel next to her. When she didn't, she called out to him, receiving no answer. So she got up and headed for the bathroom. As she got out and hunted for her clothes, a single crumpled paper made Levy bend over and pick it up. Once she unfolded it and carefully smoothed it, her eyes glanced over just briefly. It was enough to stop her hand mid-smooth, starting the letter from the beginning._

 _ **Dearest Gajeel, I do hope you know my patience is thinning by the second. And my Elements are dying for some Fairy blood. I wanted to let you know I've cleared a spot for that blue Fairy above the fire place. Just picturing her adorning my wall is making my skin crawl with joy. Do your very best to lacrima capture her final moments, you know I love a good show.**_

 _ **(Phatom Lord guild mark)**_

 _ **P.S.: Don't keep me waiting.**_

 _Levy started hyperventilating, tears filling her eyes as her heart shattered. She clutched her chest, feeling the pain of betrayal ripping her soul. Just then, she heard the door opening. She ran to the door, facing a whistling Gajeel._

 _"Mornin', Shrimp. Go back to bed, I have a surpr…"_

 _"You lying bastard!" Gajeel snapped his eyes to her, noticing Levy was glaring murderously at him, tears streaming down her face._

 _"Shrimp, are you OK? What's wrong?" He headed to her, worry clear on his face as Levy backed away from him._

 _"Don't touch me!" She screamed as he reached for her, Gajeel wincing from her harsh tone._

 _"What did I…"_

 _"You never meant what you said, did you? You just wanted some fun before you killed me, right?" It was then he noticed the crumpled paper clutched in her hand. His blood ran cold as realization hit him hard._

 _"No! Levy, listen…"_

 _"LIAR!" She turned on the spot and ran for the back door, Gajeel lunging after her._

 _"Let me explain, please!" He grabbed her by the arm and forcefully turned her to face him, the hate in her eyes almost kneeling him. Levy started fighting against his iron grip._

 _"Let go!"_

 _"Not until I tell you what's going on!"_

 _"I don't need your lies! LET GO!" She materialized the word FIRE and bolted for the door as Gajeel fought to extinguish his clothes. He didn't wait for the smoke to clear as he lunged for the door, running after Levy. He stopped dead in his track, sniffing the air. Nothing. Slightly panicked, he ran for Fairy Hills, hoping she was heading there. Ten minutes later, he barged in the girls' dorm, fighting against magical force fields and trying not to go deaf from all the alarms. As soon as he broke down the door from Levy's apartment, he sniffed the air again, confirming his worst fear. She wasn't there. She hasn't been there for at least a couple of days, since she had been at his place. He turned around, ignoring the outraged yells from the other girls and Erza's promises of a good whooping, running out the door. He headed to her favorite spot outside Magnolia, then bolted for the guild, his insides twisting strangely._

 _"Where's Levy?" He bellowed as soon as he was inside the pub, all heads turning to him._

 _"Haven't seen her." Gray shrugged as he sipped his beer._

 _"She was with you last I checked." Mira flipped a clean rag on her shoulder and grabbed another glass to wipe it._

 _"Are you sure she didn't come back here?" Gajeel insisted, worry eating his insides._

 _"What the hell, Metal Brain, did you lose your nose or something?" Natsu hinted her scent wasn't anywhere near the guild. So Gajeel ran up the stairs, to Makarov's office._

 _"Master! Levy's in danger!" He said without catching his breath. Makarov turned slowly in his chair, eyeing the Dragon Slayer strangely._

 _"It's polite to knock before storming in my office, Gajeel." He said in a calm voice._

 _"Please! She read the letter Jose sent me a few weeks back and she ran off! I can't find her anywhere!"_

 _"Calm down, I'm sure she's just upset. Was it the letter you told me about, the one I told you to keep as evidence?"_

 _"Yes, she somehow found it and…" Gajeel gulped, all strength leaving his body. "I have a bad feeling… I feel she's… in pain. Please, Master…"_

 _"Did you mate with her?" Makarov asked in a neutral voice, watching Gajeel intently._

 _"I… Yes." Makarov jumped off his chair, hurrying out the door._

 _All of Fairy Tail was out of the guild in the next ten minutes, searching for Levy. Soon they found out that Jet and Droy were missing, as well. The search intensified, but they couldn't find a trance of the three. Night came and still nothing. The woods around Magnolia were empty part from wild animals and the searching Fairies._

 _Gajeel was feeling worse as hours passed by, dawn creeping to the horizon. His muscles ached, his body screamed for rest, his head swam from tiredness. But he would not give up. Not until she was found._

 _All of a sudden, Levy's scent was back. For a split second, he joyed beyond belief. Then realization hit his nose. Is was her blood he smelled. A LOT of blood._

* * *

Gajeel found himself walking to the Infirmary, cracking the door open to see inside. The pink haired hag was sitting on a chair and Wendy was sleeping on a medical bed.

And Levy…

He pushed the door open and hurried to her bed, ignoring the outraged protest from the hag. Gajeel kneeled beside her, taking a fragile hand into his large one, staring at her bandaged face. Heck, most of her body was bandaged. He felt his hand trembling and his breathing hitched. Porlyushka stopped her verbal attack as she watched him carefully.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't do it…" Fresh tears streamed down his face, placing Levy's hand on his cheek. "I couldn't protect you…"

"You need to go." The healer told him in a harsh tone.

"NO!" Gajeel barked, wanting to lunge at the pink haired woman. Porlyushka noticed he was slowly going into shock, so she called Makarov to restrain Gajeel since he was getting dangerous to himself and the others around him. The petite Master tried to get the Iron Dragon out, the commotion he created waking Wendy up.

"Gajeel, you need to get out of here, now!"

"I won't leave until she opens her eyes! Ya hear me? I ain't leaving! Get the fuck off me!" Gajeel fought against Makarov's strong grip.

"You need to calm down!"

"Stop fucking treating me like I'm retarded! What I need is her to open her eyes! Ya hear?! Levy! Open your eyes!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH! GET OUT, NOW!" Porlyushka bellowed, wanting to slap the raven haired man.

"Levy! Please, Shrimp, open your eyes!" Gajeel ignored Makarov and Porlyushka, Wendy silently watching Gajeel's behavior with tears in her eyes. Each time Gajeel yelled for Levy, something choked her lungs. "LEVY!" Silence filled the room as Wendy gasped. All eyes turned to the young girl, who was staring at Levy's hand. All eyes turned to Levy's hand. No one breathed.

Then, a miracle happened. Levy's finger twitched.

Makarov released Gajeel and hurried to the bed, helping Porlyushka administer something, then ordering Wendy to heal Levy again. Her head moved and a painful moan filled the silence. Gajeel burst into a teary smile, hurrying to the bed.

"Stay back, you fool!" Porlyushka pushed him back, but Gajeel wasn't listening. His eyes were on Levy's face, watching every move she made, scrunching her face as she started to feel her body throbbing. For Gajeel, everything else faded from view as Levy slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times to adjust to the light. She looked around the room, resting her eyes on Gajeel's smiling face. Gajeel crumbled to the floor when she smiled weakly at him, his heart soaring with happiness. He could fall into unconsciousness now. So he let darkness swallow him as he slid to the cold floor.

"Ugh, couldn't he faint on a bed?" Porlyushka complained loudly, heading for the door to summon a few guys to put Gajeel on a bed, letting him rest. After all, he had it almost as worse as poor Shadow Gear.

 **TBC**

* * *

 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note:** so many positive feeds! I'm in Heaven!_

 _ **JTBTB** , wow. just wow. your comments made me feel like crying from happiness (i actually did). the passion you added in those words touched me deeply. hubby was right behind me when i read your review and he was all like "SEE SEE, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO SAYS YOU SHOULD BE WRITING YOUR OWN BOOK! SEE?" it's because of you, my readers, that i keep going and try to get better at this. i only started writing fanfic (like seriously writing) about 2 years ago, when I published The Dragon Tamer. reading it now, i realized how much my style changed into better. because of you, my Misty~es! without your support and wonderful reviews and positive criticism. and, who knows, maybe in the future i will be writing my own books. but i bet that will happen because of you!_

 _ **Sketcher** , so sorry for the confusion, i tried to edit the text a bit, maybe it won't be so hard to understand. basically, it goes linearly from the moment gajeel lays his eyes on levy and her team and to the part where he faints in the infirmary. in between i placed flashbacks._

 _ **GiantMarshmallow** , **Usweasil** , thankies!_

 _ **Dvel** , jose had it coming, what can i say mwahahahahaha_

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **Chapter 5:**

Gajeel opened his groggy eyes, placing an arm over them to shield himself from the light. For a moment he wanted to turn over and sleep some more, but his brain attacked him with memories. So he sat upright suddenly, a wave of dizziness making him hold his head with one hand. A few seconds after the room stopped spinning, he looked around. He was in the Infirmary. Alone.

He got out of the white bed and walked out into the guild, scanning every face. They were too quiet, too somber. Unusual for the usually wild bunch. He expected everyone to jump for joy after the recovery of his bluenette. Gajeel spotted a sour looking Natsu, holding a crying blonde.

"Hey, Flame Brain! What's up with Bunny girl?" _What's up with everybody, actually._

"You finally decided to join the living again, Metal Head?" Natsu caressed Lucy's head as she kept weeping silently.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You slept for two whole days, idiot!" Gajeel stared at him.

"What? That's not possible!" He looked around the guild again, panic bubbling inside him. "Where's Master? How's Shrimp doin'?" Natsu made a disgusted noise.

"Congratu-fucking-lations! Your little yelling stunt a few days ago made Levy worse, you fucktard!" The pinkette said in an angry tone, Lucy raising her puffy eyes to the two Dragon Slayers. Gajeel merely stared.

"What do you mean she's worse? I saw her open her eyes, goddamn it!" Gajeel raised his voice, thinking Natsu was pulling one of his idiot stunts, but his gut told him he was telling the truth this time.

"You're such a goddamn idiot! You kissed the floor before she started seizuring. 'Pparently that old hag tried to drag you out of the Infirmary and you started yellin' shit, then dropped on the floor. The next thing we know is Master calling out to us to come and put you on a bed and hold Levy down as Wendy tried to heal her. It didn't work…" Natsu left the words hanging for a few moments, letting Gajeel ponder.

 _Was it a dream? Did I dream she opened her eyes and smiled at me? What the hell is going on?_

"Levy… died. Twice. She was revived by Porlyushka, but she's been in a coma ever since…"

"Where is she?" Gajeel cut him.

"You ain't allowed to see her, dumbass!"

"WHERE IS SHE?" Gajeel lunged for the Fire Dragon, fisting his scarf.

"She's at the hospital! Okay? In Intensive Care! No one is allowed to see her! Master even put Freed to rune-block her room! This is serious shit! And it ain't my fault! So get your damn hands off me before I break them!" Natsu kept his fists next to his body, trying to control the urges he felt as Gajeel held him by the scarf.

Gajeel felt like ripping his head off, scrunching his teeth together in an attempt to control himself. The two glared at each other for a long moment before Gajeel forcefully released the pink haired man.

"I dunno what you saw, but sure as hell it wasn't Levy opening her eyes. As soon as you collapsed – like a fucking pansy, if I might add – she started shaking uncontrollably. It took Elfman, myself and Laxus to hold her down enough for that old hag to give her something to stop seazuring." Gajeel sat down heavily, tangling his fingers in his black spikes. "Wendy did her best, but… The hag says she's not responding to treatment… What the fuck is going on, Gajeel?"

"That's what I'd like to know…" The raven haired man felt his lungs heavy, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "I do know one thing, though." He let the words hanging for a long moment, spiking Natsu's interest. "Phantom Lord will pay for this."

With that thought in mind, Gajeel got up and headed for the door. Just before Natsu could question him, he said with his back to the guild. "I'm going back to my place, get some stuff done." Salamader grunted in answer, leaving him be.

Gajeel walked aimlessly for a while, not wanting to return to an empty place. He was sure he's just get more depressed if he went home and Levy wasn't there to greet him. He stopped suddenly, squeezed his fists, then started running. _He's gonna pay for this by my own hand!_ Gajeel's dark thoughts fired him up, pushing him forward. He didn't stop until he was back at Phantom Lord guild, breaking down the door with his iron pole. Once the door flew on the other side of the wide room, all eyes turned on him.

"Oi, you fuckers! Where the fuck's Jose?" Gajeel bellowed, his voice ripping through the silence. A couple of dozen screeches could be heard next as almost the whole Phantom pub lunged at Gajeel. He merely grinned crookedly, expecting a good fight.

"Leave this one to me." Jose's slimy voice filled the room, stopping every Phantom. "It's my duty to teach naughty children respect. Besides, I was expecting you." Jose sneered, angering Gajeel. Precisely what he wanted.

Gajeel lunged himself with a roar, imbedding his iron poles in the wooden floor and propelling himself to the second floor, where Jose was waiting. Gajeel extended his fist to Jose, passing through it and disintegrating the image.

"You coward! You hide behind your pathetic illusions! Come here and fight me like a man!" Gajeel hollered into thin air, sniffing Jose´s scent.

"I do believe you know where to find me." The raven haired man started running up the stairs, to Jose's office, kicking the door open once he reached the top floor. He didn't waste any time, dashing to the sneering guild master. Jose avoided Gajeel's punches with ease, moving like air. "You disappointed me… You know how heartbroken I felt? Like a father seeing his only child betray him. You really hurt me right…" He patted his chest as Gajeel kept slicing through the air, trying to hit Jose. "…Here..."

"I was more than kind to you, more than understanding. I gave you more than enough time to finish a simple job, yet you…" Jose dodged a slice that cut a few strands of hair. "…Failed." In a moment, Jose's eyes darkened, stopping Gajeel's attack. Jose attacked fiercely. "That's why I decided to finish her myself!" He laughed manically, the Dragon Slayer defending himself as Jose unleashed his power. "If you could've heard her scream! Such a wonderful sound!" Jose brutally attacked again. "It was wonderful watching her beg for her life!" Jose stopped briefly, facing a panting Gajeel.

"Why her?" Gajeel rasped, covering himself in iron scales.

"She's the one to blame. She changed you. And I don't like changes. So I needed her out of the way." The Master simply said before launching his shadows at the Slayer. He dodged easily.

"You're fucking insane! I always knew you were a crackpot, but this time you crossed the line!" Jose sneered in disgust. "She's my light! You're not leaving this room alive! I'm making sure you will never hurt her again!" Gajeel activated his magic, sending thousands of iron spikes at Jose. He dodged, then sent a blast to the Slayer, tumbling him on the floor. The next moment, he sent multiple exploding shadows to the spot where Gajeel landed, enjoying the grunts of pain he heard. Once the dust settled, he saw Gajeel trying to get back on his feet.

"Oh, Gajeel, Gajeel… You're such a fool… The one who's not leaving this room…" Jose raised his arm, activating a magical circle. "…Is _you_." With a wicked sneer, Jose directed the attack to Gajeel, wanting to finish the little game they were playing.

Gajeel saw the purple light cover everything in front of him. He knew he couldn't dodge it or defend against it. Just before he closed his eyes, a flash of blue appeared in front of him. _Shrimp?_ Gajeel jumped away just before the purple light hit him head on. Still, the attack was powerful enough to launch him straight into a wall, Gajeel feeling every brick on his spine. He coughed blood and crumbled to the floor. _Why is she here? Am I hallucinating or…_ Gajeel gulped, dread filling him as he thought of only one macabre thing. _No! She's not dead! She's alive! SHE'S ALIVE!_

The raven haired man placed his weight on a knee, heaving himself up even though his body was sore. He was determined to finish Jose.

A few rocks falling on the ground spiked Jose's attention. He bulged his darkened eyes when he saw Gajeel getting back on his feet. _No! It can't be!_ His rage bubbling, he turned abruptly to the Slayer, activating his purple shadows.

"You should've stayed down. This is for betraying me!" Jose pulled up both of his arms, sending his most powerful attack to the barely standing Dragon Slayer. Gajeel couldn't defend himself. The attack left him yelling his lungs out, then he crumbled to the floor, his consciousness slipping away.

" _Gajeel… Don't be afraid… I'm here with you…_ " Gajeel heard the most beautiful sound just before his eyes closed and he fell into darkness.

 **TBC**

* * *

 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note:** Wow, uploading another chapter so soon! I amaze myself sometimes.._

 _ **Sketcher** , hehe, sorry, love, can't disclose anything till you get the chapter mwahahahahahaha_

 _ **Dvel** , toma unos Cleenex! por favor, no llores! y muchisimas gracias!_

 _ **JTBTB** , I was really nervous for the fight scenes, I wasn't really confident I could pull it off. I like writing romantic scenes lol. And I don't think I've even been so touched by someones words like yours did. are you really 15? because I could swear you're 40 years old +. the depth of your words and the way you put your feelings into those words are far more advanced than a 15 year old's. you are very mature for your age and with a clear mind, not allowing to be lead by others. and I really wasn't aware that I put so much of myself in my stories. everything you saw/read is true._

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **Chapter 6:**

Gajeel started feeling his own body throbbing before he even got a chance to open his eyes. He tried to move an arm, only to feel sharp pain go through it, escaping a strained gasp. He tried to open his eyes and soon realized he couldn't open one of them. It was too swollen from the beating he got from Jose. He groaned again. His pride felt more wounded than his body.

Gajeel tried to evaluate the damage he took. By the way everything hurt and throbbed, it was quite difficult at first. He had to concentrate for a while to sort his wounds. Most likely a few broken ribs by the way it hurt every time he breathed, his right forearm hurt so badly he was afraid to move it, a few deep cuts on his legs that stung like hell, a bump or two on his head… And he was sure he looked like hell.

Once again he tried to open his eyes and realized it was dark. His nose told him he was in the dungeons. Everything around him smelled like rocks. Wet rocks. And rats. Oh, goody, the little creepers would eat him alive with those gashes. But he was too tired and too hurt to give a damn at the moment. So he slipped back into darkness.

"Master…" Natsu felt a strange knot in his gut after finding out from Lily that Gajeel never made it back to his place. "Don't you think Gajeel's taking too long?" His instinct already told him where his fellow Slayer was, he just hoped they would find him in one breathing piece. "The Phantoms started moving again."

"I'm aware of that. This is quite the predicament we're in."Makarov said in a grave voice, thinking hard. "A whole out war between guild is forbidden, but what am I supposed to do? They sent in a double agent to destroy us. We managed to show that double agent a better life, so he's one of us now. But then they attacked my precious children. That I cannot forgive. So screw the Magic Council. They want war? We'll give 'em war!" He closed his eyes and took a draft from his fill of tobacco, then made his decision. "I should've done this before Gajeel took matter in his hands. Now I got another child hurt."

"Master, you can't know for sure he's…"

"What does your gut tell you? Cuz mine is screaming at me to go and save him!" Makarov raised his voice slightly, desperation overcoming his better senses. "I _know_ he's hurt! And, if we wanna save Levy, we gotta save his ass first!" Makarov jumped on his feet on the bar, raising everyone's attention. "Who's up for some Phantom whoop-ass? Cuz it's time to go to war!" Every Fairy cheered loudly, raising their fists in the air. Everyone followed Makarov out the door, happy to be able to do something instead of sulking and worrying for Shadow Gear and Gajeel.

 _Plop._

" _Gajeel-kun..."_

 _Plop. Plop._

" _Gajeel-kun."_

Splash.

Cold water nearly drowned Gajeel as he lay on the cold rocky floor. He started coughing loudly, his broking ribs protesting painfully.

"Gajeel-kun!" He finally heard loud and clear a voice calling to him. He tried to open his eyes, clearing them a few times. He could finally open both of his eyes, straining through the darkness. His nose worked faster, telling him who was trying to bring him back to his senses.

"You nearly downed me, idiot! And what the fuck are you doin' here? I bet Jose's startin' his attack on the Fairies, so you're not supposed to be here…"

"Master Jose woke the Phantoms. We're heading to Fairy Tail as we speak." Gajeel knew what she was talking about. A 'walking' guild filled with powerful wizards. Plus Jose's ultimate attack. Magnolia wouldn't stand a chance. He grinded his teeth.

"Juvia… came here to help Gajeel-kun…" The young woman said sheepishly, looking away from him.

"What the hell are you talking about, rain woman? The last thing I want is to involve you in this shit! Go back upstairs! I'll get myself out of this somehow! Besides, how can I know if I can trust you?" Gajeel moved his legs, trying to turn on a side. Everything hurt.

"Juvia is already involved! Because Juvia is Gajeel-kun's friend! Juvia was already punished for being Gajeel-kun's friend! So now Juvia wants to show Gajeel-kun her loyality! Juvia wants Gajeel-kun to life the happy life he found in Fairy Tail! Because… Because Gajeel-kun deserves happiness! And Gajeel-kun can trust Juvia, because Juvia doesn't want to be a Phantom anymore!" Juvia's voice echoed through the rocky dungeon, her words shocking the Slayer for a long moment. Before he could speak, Juvia transformed her body into water, passing through the stone pillars that kept the door closed.

"Idiot! Go back to Jose! I already got one girl in my life hurt! I don't want you to get hurt, too!"

"Juvia is really touched by Gajeel-kun's concern, but there's no need for that. Juvia can take care of herself. Now, let Juvia help Gajeel-kun." She pulled a bag from her coat, pulling out a few medical things. For a while, Juvia worked in silence on Gajeel's wounds, disinfecting them as best as she could. After a while, she decided to break the pressing stillness.

"Juvia knows why Gajeel-kun decided to betray Phantom Lord." She said in a soothing voice, smiling warmly. The man cracked an eye open and looked questioningly at her. "It's because Gajeel-kun loves that girl." She let the words hanging in silence, Gajeel being grateful for the darkness. Juvia giggled.

"What's so funny, damn woman?" He said in a low voice, feeling his cheeks burning.

"Juvia never believed to see the day when Kurogane no Gajeel got embarrassed."

"Ain't embarrassed! I just… I don't know how I feel…" He hissed when Juvia placed some disinfectant on a deep cut. "Watch it! I may be iron, but I do feel pain, stupid!"

"Juvia is so sorry, Juvia will place the healing potion in a moment." Her hands moved quickly, ignoring Gajeel's grunts of pain and occasional swearing. "Juvia was thinking…"

"About?" Gajeel asked after a long moment of silence.

"Juvia wants to become a Fairy, just like Gajeel-kun. Juvia is tired of being a Phantom… Juvia is tired to be hated… Maybe… Maybe Fairy Tail will accept Juvia as Juvia is… Just like they accepted Gajeel-kun. Does Gajeel-kun think Juvia would make a good Fairy?" She looked fearfully at him, his gut twisting uncomfortably.

He hated to admit it, but she was his only friend in Phantom Lord. Heck, she was his only friend period. Ever since Jose took him in, she was the only one to come and talk to him from time to time like he was normal, like she wasn't afraid of him. At times, he got the true impression she really wasn't afraid of him. Probably because her body could turn into water and she didn't give a damn if he lashed out at her. Physical contact was impossible if he wanted to hurt her. Heck, he even started liking her presence. She was the only one who was allowed to interrupt his dinner after a long mission. She would always come and greet him with a sheepish smile. She was always there to bid him farewell and safe journey when he left.

He tried to think what it would be like to leave her in the Phantom Lord guild. He hated the thought. So he made a decision.

"Yeah. You'd make a wonderful Fairy, Juvia." Her face lit up with the most genuine smile he'd ever seen.

"Then Juvia _will_ help Gajeel-kun! But Gajeel-kun has to help Juvia become a Fairy! Deal?"

"Deal." Gajeel extended his hand for Juvia to shake it, the rain woman looking shocked at him. Then she shyly placed her small hand in his, shaking it with a smile.

 **TBC**

* * *

 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note:** This chapter got a little dramatic. Wrote it on Thomas Bergersen - Empire of Angels (frankly, he has many many more inspirational songs, so I highly recommend him. And Ivan Torrent._

 _Anyhooooo, onto reviews (which make my heart sore with happiness)_

 _ **MichaelJCaboose** , glad to oblige_

 _ **Guest** , I was kinda nervous, to be honest, since Mashima didn't really offer much info on Juvia and Gajeel's relationship, but from what he did share, they do seem to be BroTP. And thank you!_

 _ **Dvel** , bring on the war! THIS... IS... FAIRY TAIL!_

 _ **nalufan** , humbly thanking you!_

 _ **Sketcher** , *jumps in fluffy arms, rubbing nose in her chest* fluffy..._

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7:**

Even before Juvia finished patching him up, Gajeel started feeling groggy. He heard Juvia say something, but he was so tired suddenly he couldn't make out her words. He felt her warm hand on his back and chest, guiding him back on the floor. She tried to speak with him again, but all he got was _healing potion_ and _sleep_. Oh, he would definitely do that. _Sleep, Gajeel-kun…_ He heard Juvia's voice from somewhere far away, letting himself succumb into darkness once more. There was no more pain, no more dampness, no more cold… He sighed contently, then fell fast asleep.

 _What the…?_ Gajeel opened his eyes suddenly, feeling a warm hand on his forearm. Snapping his eyes to the source, his heart melted on the spot.

"Le…" The bluenette placed a slender finger on his lips to silence him.

"Shh… You'll scare them away. Just watch." Levy smiled lovingly, turning her gaze from his red eyes. He followed her eyes, his breath stopping in his throat.

They were surrounded by thousands of flickering lights. They looked like fireflies, only bigger. A lot bigger. They would fade in and out of sight, changing their soft colors. Orange, yellow, pink, light purple, light blue, and a few other colors he couldn't name. One particular soft while light came and hovered around him, Gajeel watching it with curiosity as it circled his body, then floated up to his head, touching him lightly on the cheek, like a soft caress. Then the light floated to Levy, the azurette cradling it between her hands. The pierced man opened his mouth to speak, but Levy cut him.

"These are soul lights. They are here to guide me back home." She glanced at him with smiling eyes, taking his breath away. "These are all our family members." Her eyes started filling with tears. "I feel so much love from them, it's overwhelming."

"Then why do you linger here? Where ever _this_ is. Is this a dream?" Gajeel felt his heart clenching, not wanting Levy to leave.

"It's like a dream state. In between worlds. This is where I could contact you." She pushed the light from her hands above her so it could float away, then got closer to Gajeel and sat down next to him. Gajeel looked confused for a moment, looking at the mirror-like floor that reflected the souls' soft lights, making the scene even more surreal. Levy smiled at him in encouragement, patting the spot next to her. He dropped on the floor and crossed his legs, staring at her.

"It's so beautiful…" He said in a whispered voice, not daring to take his eyes off her. She merely smiled, placing her head on his shoulder. "You didn't answer my question." Levy looked up at him with curiosity. "Why do you linger here?" Levy sighed heavily, taking his hand.

"You need someone to protect you. This is the best I can do for now…"

"You don't need to do that, I…"

"Gajeel, stop." Levy's voice trembled.

"I'm sorry…" Gajeel said in a strained voice, meaning more than he said. And she understood. He didn't need to speak too much so she could understand what he meant. It was one of the reasons he loved her so much.

"You don't have to apologize, I know what you did for Fairy Tail. For me." She moved her free hand to caress his cheek and make him look into her eyes. "I know _everything_. It's one of the perks of being a… ghost, if this is what I am. I'm not really sure myself… But I'll stay by your side so you'll never feel alone. You'll never be alone again. I'll protect you as you protected me."

"Shrimp… I don't need you to protect me." He placed his large hand over her, still resting on his cheek. His eyes stung, blinking back the tears. "What I need is you to go back and wake up. That's it. I don't need anything else."

"But Phantom Lo…"

"They will go down in flames, and I'll take care of Jose myself. That's a promise. But I need to know that I have something to come back to… So that I don't…" He gulped. _..die together with that bastard…_ He couldn't say the words. "So that I come back home. To you." Levy's lip started quivering, understanding his words.

"You're not planning to come back to Fairy Tail?"

"What's the point if I don't have you?" The bluenette escaped a few hot tears, burying her face in his chest. "So, please… Go and open your eyes. If I know you're there, waiting for me… I'll drag my ass out of hell if I have to, but I _will_ come back to you." Gajeel cradled her head between his large, calloused hands, wiping her tears with his thumb. She nodded, watching him intently. Gajeel lowered his lips to her, kissing her fiercely. She started to fade from his arms.

" _I love you, Gajeel Redfox… Now and forever..._ " Her heard her thoughts, watching Levy's smiling form disappear.

Wendy was arranging some potions just so she could do something and not pace around or do something crazy. She glanced for the thousandth time to Levy's unconscious form, laying on the white bed. Most of her minor bruises were almost healed and the gashes and cuts covering her body didn't need bandages anymore. A flicker made Wendy hold her breath, watching Levy's eyes.

Levy scrunched her eyes, trying to open them, but her body just wouldn't cooperate. She heard a gasp and hurried footsteps just a moment before she crept her eyes open.

The light hit her eyes hard, making Levy blink a few times before she could actually tolerate the brightness of the room. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. A few more tries later and she managed to rasp something.

"G… Gajeel…" She groaned in a soft voice, starting to feel her own body. Everything hurt.

"Levy-san…" Wendy was crying openly, happiness radiating from the child. "You're _finally_ awake!" She took Levy's hand, falling on her knees on the floor.

"Where am I?"

"The hospital."

"What am I doing here?" Levy tried to remember something, but everything was a blank.

"Don't you remember? Phantom Lord attacked you and Shadow Gear. You got hurt pretty badly…" Wendy let her words hanging. A few flashes filled Levy's head, adding more sharp pain. She placed a hand over her head and closed her eyes.

"Oh… Yeah…" Sinister laughter filled her ears as more images ravaged her mind. _**That's it… Scream for me… Yes! THAT'S IT!**_ Levy placed her free hand over her stomach, where Jose embedded his guild mark. Using his claws… _**I'll make you suffer in ways you've never imagined, little girl… You changed my Gajeel… and I'm gonna make permanent changes to you. Make you all… pretty…**_ She recalled feeling Jose's claws scape her flesh, cutting deep enough to hurt like hell _and_ leave a mark. _Jose's smile faded, glaring at the blue haired girl._ _ **Didn't I tell you I wanna hear you scream?**_ _Jose placed his cold cheek over hers, whispering sinisterly in her ear._ _ **Scream or I'll make you beg for death.**_ _His promise hade her stomach clench, feeling like she would throw up any time. So she screamed. And screamed. And screamed some more. Until she felt her vocal cords bleed. Just to satisfy a lunatic._

"A… Are you OK, Levy-san? Does it hurt? Let me he…"

"No…" Tears were streaming down her face as memories filled her head. "I'm OK… Just… Flashes messing with my head, that's all. I'll be alright in a moment…" She needed strong arms to comfort her, but she knew Gajeel was imprisoned. Hurt and bleeding, like her. Wendy placed her hand over hers, trying to comfort the bluenette.

"Don't worry, Levy-san. Everything will be OK. Gajeel will be here soon, he was worri…"

"No, he won't be here soon…" Levy whispered in a drained voice.

"He just went to get changed, he…"

"He's not home." Wendy silently listened. "He's a Phantom Lord prisoner."

"How do you…" The ocean haired girl let her words fade, waiting for an answer.

"I… saw him. I was with him. That bastard nearly killed him, too. He's in the Phantom dungeons."

"Astral projection… But that's impossible! Only Necromancers and Sky magic can do that… How did you… You know what? Never mind. We'll figure it out once you're better." Wendy smiled and activated her Healing Magic to heal the remaining cuts and bruises. Levy closed her eyes and let the Dragon Slayer lull her back to a comfortable sleep, thinking of her boyfriend. _Gajeel… Be safe._

 **TBC**

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 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note** : it's coming to an end... pa-pa-pa-paaaaaam. This chappie got a lil' dark... Sometimes I frighten myself when I write stuff like that...  
_

 _ **Guest** , **Sketcher** , thank you! and, yes, teasing! more teasing!_

 _All in all, thank you for all the patience and love and reviews and reading my fics... And everything! By the way, I'd love to see a review/comment in your native language! (Of course, please consider the writer, as well, since I only know 4 languages: Romanian, English, Spanish and Japanese, so add a translation, as well, if you guys happen to not be a speaker of those 4 languages)_

 _Thank you for the infinite patience, my Misty~es! Lots of love from yours truly, MistyQue!_

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Juvia stroked long raven hair as Gajeel rested. Already a few hours passed and his wounds looked a lot better. The rain woman heard shouts and explosion above them, but she didn't move. She promised to keep Gajeel safe and, by Magic, she would respect this promise. Even if Jose himself came to drag her back to her post. To hell with him and his twisted ideas! Her friend needed her more than Jose. Her friend cared more about her than Jose. To him, she was just a tool. A very _powerful_ tool. To Gajeel, she was someone special that deserved to be trusted with something so important like watching him while he healed. She was determined to get him back on his feet so they could rain some kick-ass on the Phantoms.

"…I'm comin'…" Gajeel mumbled softly on her lap. " …'m not gonna make it in time… After I finish him… Finish… Hold on, shrimp… I'm comin' to see ya… Hold on…"

Juvia smiled warmly, knowing Gajeel would never admit out loud his feelings for this Shrimp, but the rain woman felt the love and dedication. Suddenly, the whole guild rumbled, dust and small rocks falling over the two. Gajeel opened his groggy eyes, the guild still trembling.

"That rotten bastard!" Gajeel suddenly shot up, making himself dizzy.

"Gajeel-kun should not get up so suddenly!" Juvia said in a worried voice, trying to push him back down.

"Get off, I'm fine!" He barked, trying to stand up without falling again from all the shaking. "He activated the guild! He's gonna use Jupiter! I gotta stop him before that!" Juvia hurried to the metal bars, pulling out the key she was hiding. She swiftly opened the door, the two running towards the exit.

Meanwhile, all hell broke loose in the Phantom Lord's main hall, Fairies and Phantoms clashing into each other with no show of remorse. The war between the two guilds started. Fairy Tail's blood was boiling with rage and pumping with determination. Determination to teach those darn Phantoms a lesson. That no one messes with Fairy Tail and gets away with it.

Gajeel could hear the commotion from the main hall, feeling his hair stand when he heard Master loud and clear.

" _Fairies! Rise up and show them! Show them we don't know the meaning of giving up!"_

The raven haired man smirked as he ran through the Phantom hallways, letting his nose guide him to Jose. _Hells yeah, old man! Give 'em hell! Keep those damn dogs away from me. All I wanna do is find Jose and make him pay._ The Dragon Slayer thought, his skin prickling with determination. At one point, he sent Juvia to help his family, the ocean haired woman complying after a few moments of debate. Gajeel continued his hunt.

Half an hour later, Gajeel found Jose on top of the 'walking' guild.

"I see you managed to escape, my boy. Not really surprising, after all, I raised you all waiting to betray me. I can't decide whether I should be proud or kill you all. So I'll just proudly kill you all." He grinned madly, Gajeel glaring at him.

"You are one sick bastard. Twisted beyond what I first thought."

"Thank you! Such wonderful words, even though I see such resentment in your eyes. Such a shame, really. I had high hopes for you. I even thought you'd be master one day. Ah… such beautiful dreams… But that bitch came in and ruined EVERYTHING!" Jose yelled, sending a few purple blasts to Gajeel, the Slayer easily dodging them. Jose snapped his fingers and a lacrima-screen appeared in the sky. Gajeel paled.

 _Jose was dragging a claw on Levy's contorted face. She was clearly in pain, hanging from her wrists in the dungeon. She escaped a whimper, tears streaming down her face. The bluenette gasped when a clawed hand buried itself in the hair, Jose yanking her head back to make her look into his eyes._

" _ **Ah, such a beautiful face…"**_ _He used a claw to open her cheek, Levy yelling in pain._ _ **"That's it… Scream for me…"**_ _Jose licked the bleeding gash, cutting more of Levy's flesh._ _ **"Yes! THAT'S IT!"**_ _Levy screamed as pain filled her body, Jose reveling in the sounds of her voice. "_ _ **I'll make you suffer in ways you've never imagined, little girl… You changed my Gajeel… and I'm gonna make permanent changes to you. Make you all… pretty…"**_ _Levy was too tired to scream as Jose started drawing his guild mark on her belly, using his claws. Jose's sick smile faded, glaring at the tired girl. "_ _ **Didn't I tell you I wanna hear you scream?"**_ _He yanked a fistful of hair, forcing Levy to look at him again. Jose placed his cold cheek over hers, whispering sinisterly in her ear. "_ _ **Scream or I'll make you beg for death."**_

Gajeel roared angrily as the lacrima-screen blipped out, Jose grinning satisfied. Gajeel launched himself to the Phantom, wanting blood.

"This time I'm gonna make you beg for mercy!" Gajeel slashed the air, Jose easily dodging his iron claws. He merely smiled.

"Poor thing… You just don't understand, do you? That you have _no_ chance of winning against me." Gajeel let his magic envelop him, a green shield against Jose's purple shadows. "Oh, I know… You wanna follow her. You just wanna die like that little blue Fairy. I can help you there."

"SHE'S NOT DEAD!" Gajeel yelled, sending an Iron Roar to Jose, hitting him head-on. The Slayer sent his Iron Clubs one after the other before dust could settle and Jose could escape like the slimy bastard he was. For a split second, Gajeel stopped attacking, only to be enveloped into a shadowy sphere.

"This is you end, boy." Jose's voice could be heard from the shadows.

Wendy was pushing a food cart to Levy's bed, the bluenette smiling as thanks. Levy took a plate and started eating, Wendy taking a seat next to her.

"The guild feels eerie…" The girl whispered. Levy looked at her.

"How so?"

"Well, it's almost empty. Master left a few members behind for our protection, even though everyone wanted to go with him… I'm worried about everyone… Aren't you worried about Gajeel-san?" Levy blinked surprised, chewing thoughtful for a moment. The she smiled, surprising Wendy.

"Of course I'm worried. But we're talking about Kurogane no Gajeel, after all. He won't give up. He's the same as Natsu, Erza, Gray, and every Fairy Tail member. Master says we don't know the meaning of giving up. And it's true. I'm sure everyone will come home in one piece." Wendy smiled relieved, thanking Levy for her wisdom.

Jose was laughing hysterically, his shadow sphere getting smaller and smaller as it consumed Gajeel.

"Soon there will be no more of you. Too bad, the Fairies won't have anything to bury." He cackled, a flick of light making him choke on his laughter. He watched his sphere carefully, waiting to see if something disturbed his shadows from devouring Gajeel. Another flicker of light from within the sphere. Then, the sphere started getting smaller, seemingly getting sucked into something. Jose watched carefully as a standing figure was consuming his shadows. His skin glinted in the sun, blinding him momentarily. As the figure took a step, Jose saw who it was. Gajeel was smirking crookedly, his iron skin emanating shadows.

"Impossible…" Jose mumbled, not believing his eyes. "You ate my shadows…"

"Tasted like crap, too." Gajeel crouched, then transformed into a shadow, launching himself to a shocked Jose. An Iron Club hit the shadow user in the jaw, sending him flying. Gajeel didn't waste any time, sending an Iron Shadow roar to his former Master, Jose not being able to dodge it. The powerful attack shredded his clothes and skin, shadows seeping into his very soul. Jose fell crumbled to the floor, Gajeel watching him tremble in fear.

"You're nothing but a pathetic piece of shit." The Slayer felt his legs weak, but didn't let himself fall here after beating Jose enough to make the man pee his pants and whiten his hair in an instant. So he limped to the exit, hearing running footsteps on the stairs. He knew it was his family, so he left Jose on their hands as he made his way out of the guild. He knew he had to go to Levy, her face the only thing keeping him standing.

"I'm coming, Shrimp…" He remembered their fight, her betrayed eyes, the hurt in her voice. He had to make it right. And he would not rest until he explained everything.

 **TBC**

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 ** ** _How about it? Did you liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Please review, your opinion matters to me as a writer._****


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